Chunk of the Blarney Stone
Las Vegas, Nevada
At the end of a neon rainbow, beneath a pot of illuminated gold, there used to be an Irish-themed casino on Fremont Street named Fitzgerald's. Inside, gamblers seeking an extra dose of luck could kiss a chunk of the Blarney Stone.
The 34-story casino-hotel became Fitzgerald's Las Vegas in 1987, and was sold in 2011. The D Las Vegas opened in late 2012 after extensive renovations. Its Leprechaun ambience had been scrubbed away, casino dealer babes now in skimpy red outfits and the decor decidedly less green.
But the Blarney Stone is still displayed, perhaps a sentimental nod to loyal patrons. It's on the second floor, on a small pedestal between a bar and a line of slot machines. A sign explains:"The D has been bequeathed a rare stone from the famous Blarney Castle in Ireland." It also notes "The tradition requires visitors to suspend themselves upside down for a proper kiss of the stone. If the feat seems too dangerous, just give it a good rub for that special D luck!"
The establishment tolerates shows of affection, though kissing a boulder coated with the dried slobber of three decades of gamblers is at your own risk. The display can easily go unnoticed in the colorful riot of the adjacent Megabucks bank of slots. Over $10 million when we visited!
Fitzgerald's Casino in Reno closed in 2008, but even after recent building renovations their chunk of the lucky Irish castle is still there!